Popularity Contests Take the Next Level With Social Media

We are all familiar with the popularity contests of high school.  The idea of becoming homecoming queen or the student council president scared me as a teen, as neither were my thing.  I was more quiet and into other pursuits.  What is funny is now, some twenty years later, I find myself in Internet marketing and social media.  What is even funnier is the fact that I didn’t gasp at the idea of Mashable’s Open Web Awards Social Media Edition popularity contest.  Instead, I’d love to be nominated or win.  What the heck happened to me?

Maybe I grew up or morphed into someone else.  I can say my fellow high school classmates saw a new me at our twentieth class reunion.  I was more outgoing, hugged everyone, and was much more “out there” than I ever was back in school.  I think a major part of this is due to my profession and my persona on the Internet.

I developed this persona back in my ERP software days and have continued it now that I run my own Internet marketing company.  A few years ago someone who knew me through my blog approached me at a conference.  While this didn’t alarm me then, it does now.  Again, didn’t want to be the queen of high school, so why do I have this urge to be the bell of the Internet?  Technology.  I love it and cannot get enough of it.

I love technology so much that the idea of a popularity contest intrigues me and does not haunt me.  I even voted for @puremichigan and @shitmydadsays as the best social media campaign and funniest tweets.  So I have changed and I think for the better.  The Internet has blessed me in many ways and I think this very personal change is just an example of why I’m attached to my Mac and my wi-fi.